Club Constitution

The name of the club is Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club.

The aims of the Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club  will be:  

1. To bring together motoring enthusiasts in the High Wycombe area.
2. To promote recreational activities, mutual support and joint aid among our members. 
3. To establish regular and periodic activities for the members
4. To support each other through self help and charity
5. To help charitable causes in our area and others if club members so wish.

Membership is open to anyone who:  

• is over 16 unaccompanied, under 16 accompanied by an adult 
• and preferably lives in High Wycombe or the surrounding area; 
• and supports the aims of the club

Membership will begin as soon as a completed membership form has been submitted and accepted; and the first annual fee has been received when there is a payment due.  

There will be an annual membership fee which will be agreed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will be payable by all members.  The membership fee may be zero. 

A list of all members will be kept by the membership secretary.  

Ceasing to be a member 

Members may resign at any time verbally, in writing, by email or message, to the secretary.  

Any member who has not paid their membership fee, if the fee is non zero, for one year will be contacted by the committee, who will then decide whether that member is deemed to have resigned.  

Any offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted. Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the club if an apology is not given or the behaviour is repeated. 

The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club will not discriminate on the grounds of sex, race (including colour, ethnic or national origin), sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, religious or political belief, pregnancy or maternity, marital status or age.

The business of the club will be carried out by a Committee which must have at least one officer. The Committee will meet as necessary and not less than once a year.

5.1 Where the Committee is greater than one 

It will be composed of one to three officers and up to four additional committee members.

The officers’ roles, which need not be different people, are as follows;

• Chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings
• Co-Chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings if the Chair is not available 
• Treasurer who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts

In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General Meeting of members.

Any committee member not attending a meeting without apology will be contacted by the committee and asked if they wish to resign.

The Committee meetings will be open to any member of Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club wishing to attend, who may speak but not vote.

6.1. Annual General Meetings  

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within fifteen months of the previous AGM.  All members will be notified in writing at least one week before the date of the meeting, giving the venue, date and time.  Nominations for the committee may be made to the Secretary before the meeting, or at the meeting.  The quorum for the AGM will be 10% of the membership or three members, whichever is the greater number.  At the AGM:-  The Committee will present a report of the activities of the Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club over the year. The Committee will present the accounts of Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club for the previous year. The officers and Committee for the next year will be elected. Any proposals given to the Secretary at least seven days in advance of the meeting will be discussed. 

6.2 Special General Meetings 

The Secretary will call a Special General Meeting at the request of the majority of the committee or at least eight other members giving a written request to the Chair or Secretary stating the reason for their request.  The meeting will take place within twenty-one days of the request.  All members will be given two weeks notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.  The quorum for the Special General Meeting will be 10% of the membership or three members, whichever is the greater number.  

6.3 General Meetings 

General Meetings are open to all members and will be held at least once every twelve months or more often if necessary.  All members will be given two weeks’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.  The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 10% of the membership or three members, whichever is the greater number.  

6.4 Committee Meetings  

Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or Secretary. Committee members must receive notice of meetings at least seven days before the meeting.  The quorum for Committee meetings is three Committee members.  

All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general agreement that everyone present can agree to.  If a consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken and a decision will be made by a simple majority of members present. If the number of votes cast on each side is equal, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

The Club is a trading name of and managed by Cleartext Ltd as guided by their accountant. Separate income and expenditure lines will be maintained in the companies chart of accounts to document the Clubs finances.

Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasurer and a financial statement given at each annual general meeting.  All money raised by or on behalf of Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club is only to be used to further the aims of the club, as specified in item 2 of this constitution.

Amendments to the constitution may only be made at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.  Any proposal to amend the constitution must be given to the Secretary in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice of meeting.  Any proposal to amend the constitution will require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

If a meeting, by simple majority, decides that it is necessary to close down the club it may call a Special General Meeting to do so. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve the club.  

If it is agreed to dissolve the club, all remaining money and other assets, once outstanding debts have been paid, will be donated to a local charitable organisation. The organisation will be agreed at the meeting which agrees the dissolution.  

This constitution was agreed at the Inaugural General Meeting of the Hellfire Motor Vehicle Club on:-  

Date …15……/……07……/……2021……….  

Name and position in club: DM Banes, Director   Signed ……DMBanes.……………………….  

v3 24h February 2023

Copied from: https://www.resourcecentre.org.uk/information/constitutions/#sample